Cranbury asking residents if they want a single trash hauler

[Guest]

CRANBURY -- Cranbury will ask its residents whether they want to switch from multiple trash collectors to a single hauler contracted by the township, addressing a 20-year-old debate for the first time in a ballot question on Nov. 2.
If residents give the green light, township officials will start soliciting bids, and residents will vote to install a trash collector on next year’s ballot in November 2011, said township assistant administrator Denise Marabello.
Switching to a single trash collector will limit some options like pick-up day and frequency, noted Committee member David Cook, who gave a presentation on the proposal earlier this week.

http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2010/10/post_128.html

[Guest]

Once this is in place and there isn't any competition, how often can we expect the price to increase? Does Cranbury subsidize it? Recently, I called my trash company and said I was switching to another company and they immediately lowered my cost. I won't be able to do that anymore.

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[Visitor]

I was curious about the article in the Cranbury Press that says that the current monthly cost was 300-670. We pay about 350 a year for 2x a week through Midco. Who is paying 670? Bad reporting by the Press about business versus residential costs?
Bottom line is that different families have different needs - I have twice a week service, the township is looking a once a week, and I'm not sure that this will work for me. For now, I'm on the "everyone does their own" side of the issue...

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Midco charges me $90/quarter for a 1x pickup. That's $360/year for 1x. I am getting a bad deal!

Is there a cheaper competitor that serves Cranbury area?

More info about this issue:

"The average household will pay approximately $270 a year if the township contracts with one company, Cook said citing preliminary estimates."

http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2010/10/post_128.html

[guest 2]

As I see it this is one business that the township should not be administering. The township will end up with one more task to handle that they are not in a position to take on nor should they take on for a number of reasons. The needs of the population of Cranbury vary greatly. For example: there are famlies that presently have collection twice a week and have two containers filled at each collection. There are also quite a number of seniors who make one bag a week and share service with their neighbor or have the 1x a week pick up to save $$$$ that are scarce to them. Another negative is the incentive to Recycle will be deminished---why recycle if you have so much extra capacity? As for the commercial businesses and farm properties that are owned by local residents, they presently use their dumpsters for their residential waste and the new compulsory participation would place an unfair burden on them. As I see it we are all adults that should negotiate for ourselves and pay our fair share for what we generate and not subsidize anyone else. One other negative is that the residents of Four Seasons and the Affordable Housing units will get to vote on this and they have their garbage collected as part of their maintenance and rent and will not have to pay the assement each year. As I see it there are many negatives to the way this is being handled and we should vote No and let this issue die!

[Guest]

Who needs trash pickup more than once a week?
Unless you're running a business out of your house and you have no access to a dumpster, once a week is plenty.

Reduce, reuse, recycle!

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Trash collection imposed by the township would reduce the choice offered to residents today.

Some people may want twice a week, others are fine with once per week, others may want some other arrangement. Today, residents are free to negotiate the deal that best fits their circumstances.

Trash collection controlled by the township will be one more government program that could add expense. Wouldn't we need township employees to administer the program? Will that be more efficient that the current arrangement?

Is trash collection broken today? Do you want your choice and options controlled by government?

Let residents have their own choice, vote NO for trash collection.

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[vote yes]

I'll vote yes. It's cheaper than what I am paying now for 1x/week, in addition to a few dollars of tax savings per year.

[Guest]

It would not be tax deductable, it is a mandatory assessment but not a tax.